Morey said the team has no intention of trying to tank its way to a high pick that could bring a potential star in the draft, basically arguing the Rockets have been too good to be that bad.

“That approach is not one we want to take or think we should,” Morey said. “I think this year for that to make any sense we would have to win less than 22 games.

“With our personnel and our coaching staff, how good they are, I don’t think we’re ever going to be a team like that. We’re always going to be a competitive team. We’ll look for other ways to break into that next group.

[...]

“Mr. Alexander is a very competitive person,” Morey said. “We set a goal of making the playoffs, and we didn’t achieve it. It is fair to criticize that I didn’t get the right players on the team to reach that goal. I think he likes the approach that we’re taking and the plans going forward. At the end of the day, it’s a bottom-line business. He’s disappointed.”